Chapter 106

"In less than ten years, the Great Ming will return to its former state."

"The powerful enemies beyond the pass and the refugees within will still rally across the land."

Jiang Huan stood frozen in place.

"Why, why is this so?"

Su Qiao smiled at Jiang Huan.

"Why did our Emperor rebel?"

"The emperor is far away, the officials are many, the people few—three meals a day of beatings; what else can they do but rebel?"

"Will killing the officials above help?"

"Two hundred years of peace have left the poor with no space to stick a cone, the rich with fields stretching mile after mile; even in years of bountiful harvest, starving refugees still barely survive."

"When disaster strikes, the realm will surely erupt!"

"This time, over two hundred thousand imperial clansmen have died—perhaps this eases the Great Ming's immediate crisis. But next time, will the Great Ming still have two hundred thousand clansmen for the Tatars beyond the pass to kill?"

Jiang Huan's expression grew sluggish.

Outside the imperial prison, Zhu Yuanzhang, crouched against the wall, fell silent as well.

Even if Zhu Youjian purges the court clean again.

What then?

The true sickness lies among the people, among the scholar-gentry!

Jiang Huan stared at Su Qiao with confusion.

He finally murmured in dawning realization:

"My lord Su, are you saying… you didn't fully reveal your plan to the Emperor?"

Su Qiao sipped his wine and smiled.

"It's not that I didn't reveal it fully."

"It's that eradicating the root cause is too complex, and when the time comes, there isn't enough time—so we must chip away at these problems bit by bit."

"If future emperors truly adopt this strategy, perhaps they'll find their own way to resolve it."

Jiang Huan eyed Su Qiao warily and asked:

"Then, my lord Su, do you have a way to buy time?"

Su Qiao nodded slightly and clicked his tongue.

"Well, there is still one way."

"If I were a future emperor."

"I would not rush to attack beyond the pass."

Outside the wall, Zhu Yuanzhang froze in surprise.

Not rush to campaign?

Jiang Huan stared at Su Qiao in disbelief.

"If we don't campaign, what if the powerful enemies beyond the pass grow stronger?!"

Su Qiao spat fiercely.

"Pah, nonsense, Commander Jiang—do you really think the enemies beyond the pass could grow strong without inside help?"

Su Qiao clicked his tongue.

"Once the Central Plains recover their strength, those things beyond the pass are nothing but fish on a chopping block—cut them whenever we please."

"But with this 'apparent' external threat looming, the Great Ming can use it as an excuse to do far more."

"At least before we truly exterminate them, the moral high ground remains with the court."

"Once we exterminate them, the moral high ground gained from the deaths of hundreds of thousands of clansmen vanishes."

"At that point, what excuse will future emperors have to enact new policies, to reform and innovate?"

The moment he finished speaking,

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes suddenly lit up.

Jiang Huan stared at Su Qiao, excited:

"But we can't just let them seize the lands beyond the pass!"

Su Qiao, half-drunk, waved his hand.

"Not so!"

"First, we're not passively watching them seize the lands beyond the pass—this war must wait until the Great Ming has resolved all internal problems; only then will it bring the best outcome for the people!"

"Second, the greatest sin of a ruler is to judge only right and wrong, never gain or loss!"

"In short: national humiliation is a sharp sword—and to wield it against the external enemies is a terrible waste."

"If you must strike, strike first inward—cut away all the accumulated rot."

"As long as you hold this sharp sword,"

"Those who speak of Ancestral laws are clinging to decay!"

"Those who speak of competing with the people for profit are traitors colluding with foreign powers!"

"Isn't this far more satisfying than waiting until after defeating the external enemies, then struggling pointlessly to debate the court?"

"This sword was bought with the lives of the Zhu family—so long as its final value hasn't been squeezed dry,"

"Then those two hundred thousand Zhu family lives were wasted!"

Every word from Su Qiao drove like a nail into Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

The lives of the Zhu family.

In Su Qiao's mouth, they had become nothing but chips.

Old Zhu was indeed furious.

But it cannot be denied that Su Qiao was right.

Thinking this, Zhu Yuanzhang grew too lazy to bother with Su Qiao in the prison.

He opened the chat group himself and sent a message to Zhu Youjian.

Taizu Gao Emperor:

"Do not rush the matter of conquering Liaodong."

"For now, station the troops at Guanning."

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"..."

"?"

When Zhu Yuanzhang explained the deep meaning behind it to Zhu Youjian,

Zhu Youjian's eyes grew even brighter.

Four large characters naturally surfaced in his mind.

"Exploit the issue!"

90, Huang Taiji: Why is every damn thing about conquering Liaodong?!

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Great-Grandfather, this son understands!"

Taizu Gao Emperor:

"Remember, not a single child of our Zhu family may die in vain!"

"Every life of our Zhu family must weigh heavier than Mount Tai!"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"This son receives the imperial decree!"

After closing the chat group, Zhu Youjian slowly instructed Wang Chengen,

"Chengen, go summon Grand Secretary Sun, Grand Secretary Hong, and the Minister of Revenue, Du, to the palace."

"Yes."

Moments later, Grand Secretary Sun Chuanting arrived at the Qianqing Palace with the memorial on conquering Liaodong that he had drafted.

"Your subject, Hong Hong Chengchou."

"Your subject, Sun Chuanting."

"Your subject, Du Du Yinxi."